Norman Rockwell Museum To Open Blue Sky Studios Exhibition This June

“ICE AGE” TO THE DIGITAL AGE! THE 3D ANIMATION ART OF BLUE SKY STUDIOS
June 11 through October 31, 2011

Enjoy this lively, interactive exploration of the art of animation! Storyboards, character and background art, 3D and digital modeling and more from Blue Sky Studios will be offer an exciting glimpse into the behind-the-scenes process of creating animated images in the 21st century. Critically acclaimed for such feature length animated films as Ice Age and its popular sequels, Robots, Horton Hears a Who!, and the upcoming Rio, Blue Sky Studios is located in Greenwich, Connecticut, and specializes in photo-realistic, high resolution, computer generated animation and rendering.

Rarely-seen conceptual drawings, character illustrations and expression sheets, story boards, and background paintings from Blue Sky Studios illuminate the development of the visual narrative. Three dimensional character maquettes, models, and miniature movie sets provide a rare and intimate view of how visual concepts are transformed into believable, experiential worlds on the big screen. Featured on screen, the artists of Blue Sky are engaged in an array of artistic work, from storyboarding and the development of beloved characters to modeling, surfacing, lighting and special effects. Film clips and computer stations inviting visitors to explore aspects of animation technology will provide experiential windows into the process, and further illuminate the diverse and exceptional work of Blue Sky Studios, a leader in the animation industry for more than twenty years.

The museum will be holding an exhibition opening on Saturday, June 11, from 6 to 8 p.m., with Blue Sky animators and character designer/illustrator Peter de SÃ¨ve in attendance (remarks at 6:30 p.m.), followed by a festive reception and party. The following day we will be holding an animation festival day, from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m., where fans will be able to learn about the animators’ work, and create their own character designs in two and three-dimensions. More exhibition-related programs will be announced shortly, and you can visit our website for updates: http://www.nrm.org